AGRIC,  DEPT, 


::        ,  • 

j  •; 

',:''>'    >-  v;-   •.•i''"fr"  '>';      -'!-  ^  (/  '*•       ^'••••'^i»>.  .';'-''•  V'/'"    >'  •      •'   '•-^    ,';'V  •'•.-'•  C,  J'1'*,''  ^V  ,?;-':p    i< 


,.         .   .    V    ^pH    v;;K-%    lv;:>     <    -     '    '    r 

S'M-^A't  ^0  .fe*^'^-  ;^V  st^14- 


- 


CITRUS  FRUITS 
IN  CALIFORNIA 


A    MONOGRAPH 


Describing  the  Basic  Principles  and 
Practices  of  Successful  Citrus  Fruit 
Production,  from  the  Planting  of  the 
Tree  to  the  Harvesting  of  the  Crop 


GEO.  C.  ROEDING, President 

W.  R.  WOOD,    .    .    Vice-Pres.  and  Manager 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE 


ROEDING  &  WOOD   NURSERY  COMPANY 

NO.    1603    EAST   WASHINGTON   ST. 
LOS    ANGELES,    CAL. 


Main  I 

AGRIG,  D£PT, 


PRESERVATION 
COPY  ADDED 


RETROSPECTIVE  AND  PROSPECTIVE 


In  presenting  this  cultural  book  oh 
citrus  fruits,  we  want  to  thank  our 
friends  and  patrons  for  the  many  fa- 
vorable comments  on  our  stock,  which 
has  been  the  means  of  an  ever  in- 
creasing patronage  from  strangers. 
As  a  result  of  this  increase  in  busi- 
ness, we  have  deemed  it  necessary  to 
issue  a  treatise  on  citrus  fruits  cover- 


chard,  and  that  in  the  future  all  of  our 
nursery  stock  will  be  grown  at  La 
Habra,  has  made  it  necessary  to 
change  our  principal  place  of  business 
to  the  city  of  Los  Angeles,  where  we 
shall  maintain  an  office  and  sales  yard 
in  the  future,  and  where  we  shall  be 
pleased  to  meet  all  who  are  interested 
in  citrus  culture. 


Nursery  rows  01  young  citrus  trees. 


ing  their  culture  in  a  more  complete 
and  general  way  than  it  was  treated  in 
our  booklet  "Citrus  Fruit  Culture." 

Realizing  that  success  depends  upon 
satisfied  customers,  we  shall  strive  to 
come  as  near  perfection  as  is  possible, 
both  in  the  selection  of  soil  and  cli- 
matic conditions,  as  well  as  in  the 
care  and  management  of  the  growing 
nursery  stock. 

In  our  effort  to  secure  these  condi- 
tions, we  have  made  numerous  experi- 
ments in  different  localities  where 
conditions  seemed  to  be  favorable  for 
the  growing  of  perfect  citrus  trees. 
As  a  result  we  have  selected  a  loca- 
tion at  La  Habra,  Orange  County, 
California,  where  both  soil  and  cli- 
matic conditions  are  most  favorable 
for  this  work,  and  we  feel  assured  that 
we  shall  be  able  to  grow  a  very  supe- 
rior quality  of  tree. 

Owing  to  the  fact  that  we  have 
planted  all  of  our  Exeter  lands  to  or- 


We  shall  be  pleased  to  have  those 
interested  visit  our  nurseries  at  La 
Habra,  where  our  superintendent  will 
show  you  the  stock  and  explain  our 
methods  of  growing  and  handling  the 
same.  We  realize  that  in  order  to  in- 
sure the  best  results  in  citrus  planting 
the  tree  must  be  properly  grown,  dug 
and  packed;  and  to  .this  end  we  shall 
spare  no  effort  to  insure  all  stock  be- 
ing delivered  in  the  best  possible  con- 
dition. 

Many  years'  experience  in  handling 
nursery  stock  have  qualified  us  in  the 
digging  and  packing  of  trees,  so  that 
our  customers  can  feel  assured  that 
their  trees  will  have  every  attention 
necessary  up  to  the  time  they  leave 
our  hands,  and  if  the  instructions  in 
the  planting,  care  and  management  of 
the  orchard,  which  we  have  given  in 
this  book,  are  followed  out,  the  plant- 
er will  experience  no  difficulty  in  re- 
alizing a  profitable  citrus  orchard. 


337237 


THINGS  TO   OBSERVE : 

How  to"  Order  "*  '»" 

<, 

1.  In    ordering   trees,    always   be   particular    to    write    the   order 
plainly,  stating  quantity  of  trees  desired,  variety,  age  and  size ;  also 
whether  trees  are  to  be  balled  or  naked  roots. 

Digging  and  Packing 

2.  The  nature  of  the  soil  on  which  all  of  our  stock  is  grown,  makes 
it  possible  for  us  to  take  out  balled  trees  in  perfect  shape  without  dis- 
turbing the  roots  or  shattering  the  ball,  thus  reducing  the  shock  to 
the  tree  to  a  minimum. 

In  making  up  naked  root  trees  we  exercise  every  precaution  to  save 
all  of  the  fibrous  roots  possible,  and  all  trees  are  carefully  packed  so  as 
to  insure  their  safe  arrival  at  destination  in  good  condition. 

3.  Our  packing  and  labeling  are  as  perfect  as  possible,  and  we 
charge  for  the  same  only  to  cover  the  cost  of  material.     All  trees  are 
delivered  at  the  railway  or  express  office  free  of  charge. 

Directions 

4.  State  distinctly  how  you  wish  us  to  ship — by  freight  or  express; 
also  designate  the  route,  otherwise  we  use  our  own  discretion  in  for- 
warding. 

Responsibility 

5.  After  delivering  to  the  carriers  we  cannot  hold  ourselves  re- 
sponsible for  any  loss  or  injury  to  trees  or  plants  after  they  have  been 
carefully  packed  and  shipped ;  but  we  will  do  everything  in  our  power 
if  any  loss  should  occur  for  the  protection  and  recovery  of  our  cus- 
tomer's property. 

6.  If  any  mistakes  are  made  in  filling  orders,  we  will  cheerfully 
rectify  the  same,  but  must  respectfully  request  customers  to  notify  us 
at  once ;  or,  at  the  most  within  ten  days  after  receipt  of  the  stock. 

7.  Orders  from  unknown  correspondents  must  be  accompanied  by 
a  remittance  or  satisfactory  reference. 

8.  A  deposit  of  20%  is  required  on  all  orders  for  Citrus  trees. 

Price  List 

We  publish  annually  a  price  list  of  all  nursery  stock  grown  by  us 
and  enumerated  in  this  catalogue.  When  ordering  always  consult 
this  for  prices.  Write  for  special  prices  on  large  orders. 

OUR  GUARANTEE 

All  of  our  stock,  as  far  as  possible,  is  budded  from  bearing  trees, 
and  we  take  every  precaution  to  have  the  stock  true  to  name;  still, 
with  all  our  care,  mistakes  are  liable  to  be  made,  but  we  hold  ourselves 
in  readiness — on  proper  proof — to  replace  all  stock  that  may  prove 
untrue  to  label,  free  of  charge,  or  to  refund  the  amount  paid.  This 
statement  is  due  notice  to  purchasers  of  nursery  stock,  of  the  extent 
of  our  liability  after  same  has  been  accepted  by  the  buyer. 

Address  all  correspondence: 

THE  ROEDING  &  WOOD  NURSERY  CO., 

1603  E.  Washington  St.,  Los  Angeles,  California. 


CITRUS  CULTURE  IN  CALIFORNIA 


It  is  unnecessary  to  go  into  detail 
regarding  the  early  introduction  of 
citrus  fruits  in  California,  as  all  are 
more  or  less  familiar  with  the  early 
history  o£  the  industry  in  this  State. 
Our  purpose  is  to  treat  of  conditions 
as  they  appear  at  this  time. 

Citrus  fruits  are  grown  commer- 
cially, from  the  extreme  southern  end 
of  the  State  to  as  far  north  as  Butte 
County.  Recent  statistics  show  that 
there  were  growing  in  the  State  in 
the  spring  of  191C  nearly  eleven  mil- 
lion bearing  trees  and  nearly  two  mil- 
lion not  yet  in  bearing. 

The  greater  percentage  of  these 
trees  are  growing  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  State,  there  being  over  ten 
million  in  the  four  counties  of  Los 
Angeles,  San  Bernardino,  Riverside 
and  Orange,  and  nearly  another  mil- 
lion in  the  counties  of  Santa  Barbara, 
Ventura  and  San  Diego,  leaving  but 
two  million  for  the  balance  of  the  cit- 
rus producing  part  of  the  state.  Of 
this  amount  Tulare  County  claims 
over  a  million  trees. 

This  by  no  means  indicates  that  the 
territory  adapted  to  citrus  culture  is 
limited,  or  that  these  sections  are 
more  desirable  than  others  for  the 
production  of  citrus  fruits.  Like  other 
horticultural  enterprises,  the  citrus  in- 
dustry has  been  confined  to  sections 
where  success  was  first  achieved;  new 
sections  being  opened  up  only  when 
the  older  ones  had  all  been  planted  or 
when  prices  of  land,  as  a  result  of  the 
successful  growing  of  citrus  fruits, 
had  passed  the  limit  of  the  planter's 
pocketbook,  or  where  the  adventurous 
spirit  of  some  pioneer  prompted  him 
to  try  the  experiment  of  growing  cit- 
rus fruits  where  they  had  never  be- 
fore been  tried. 


Even  with  the  great  acreage  of  cit- 
rus fruits  now  growing  in  the  State, 
not  half  of  the  land  suitable  for  their 
culture  has  yet  been  utilized.  The 
planted  area  in  the  San  Joaquin  Val- 
ley is  merely  a  speck  compared  to  the 
vast  acreage  yet  unplanted,  the  most 
of  which  is  equally  as  good  as  any 
that  has  come  under  cultivation. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  citrus  cul- 
ture is  practically  unlimited  in  this 
State,  and  it  is  gratifying  to  know 
that  even  though  the  industry  has  ex- 
panded by  leaps  and  bounds  during 
the  last  ten  years,  yet  with  all  the 
citrus  fruits  produced  (nearly  50,000 
cars  the  past  season)  the  demand  is 
keeping  pace  with  the  production  and 
will  no  doubt  continue  to  do  so  for 
years  to  come.  Nor  is  this  to  be  won- 
dered at  when  we  take  into  considera- 
tion that  the  one  variety,  the  Wash- 
ington Navel,  the  orange  that  has 
made  California  famous,  has  never 
been  successfully  produced  in  any 
other  part  of  the  world,  excepting  in 
California  and  parts  of  Arizona,  while 
in  these  sections  it  grows  to  perfec- 
tion. The  dry  hot  summers  of  the 
San  Joaquin  Valley  are  particularly 
favorable  for  the  growing  of  the 
Washington  Navel;  there  it  attains 
the  highest  degree  of  perfection.  The 
warm  summers  seem  to  have  a  tend- 
ency to  mature  the  fruit  much  earlier 
than  in  other  parts  of  the  state;  much 
of  it  being  sufficiently  well  matured  in 
time  for  the  holiday  trade,  thereby 
realizing  the  best  market  prices.  For 
this  reason  we  advise  those  contem- 
plating the  planting  of  citrus  fruits  in 
the  San  Joaquin  Valley,  to  plant  the 
Washington  Navel. 

Of  all  the  varieties  of  oranges 
grown  in  the  state,  the  Washington 


CITRUS  FRUITS  IN   CALIFORNIA: 


Navel  is  the  most  popular  and  the 
most  largely  planted,  in  fact  only  one 
other  orange  is  grown  to  any  consid- 
erable extent  and  that  is  the  Valencia 
Late,  which,  owing  to  its  lateness  in 
ripening  and  its  good  keeping  quali- 
ties (the  fruit  often  hanging  on  the 
trees  until  October),  causes  it  to  be 
very  desirable  and  makes  it  possible 
for  California  to  ship  oranges  every 
month  in  the  year.  It  has  only  come 
into  prominence  in  California  within 
the  last  few  years,  but  as  the  desire 


A  young  Navel  tree  properly  propped. 

for  oranges  the  year  around  has  devel- 
oped among  all  classes  of  people,  the 
Valencia  has  become  a  necessity,  be- 
ing the  only  orange  thus  far  that  can 
be  successfully  held  on  the  tree  until 
late  summer  and  fall;  it  has  created 
for  itself  a  place  in  the  citrus  industry 
of  the  state  next  to  that  of  the  Wash- 
ington Navel.  It  grows  to  perfection 
in  the  warm  sections  of  Southern 
California,  where  the  chances  of  kill- 
ing frost  are  removed.  Particularly 
does  it  do  well  on  the  lighter  soils, 
where  it  not  only  is  thin  skinned,  but 
full  of  juice  and  also  retains  its  bright 
orange  color  and  maintains  its  firm- 
ness late  as  the  middle  of  October.  On 
the  heavier  soils  it  is  apt  to  turn 
green  again  about  June  or  July,  and 
though  this  does  not  affect  the  qual- 
ity of  the  fruit,  its  outward  appear- 
ance lessens  its  commercial  value. 

Few  other  varieties  of  oranges  are 
grown  in  the  state  very  extensively, 
their  culture  being  confined  mostly  to 
family  orchards  for  home  use.  Among 
these  may  be  mentioned  the  Ruby 
Blood,  Paper  Rind  St.  Michael,  Medi- 


terranean Sweet,  together  Vith  the 
Mandarin  types,  of  which  the  Dancy 
Tangerine  and  Satsuma  have  first 
place. 

Lemons  are  fast  coming  into  promi- 
nence in  California  but  the  tree  being 
more  tender  than  the  orange,  their 
culture  is  less  general.  The  five 
southern  counties,  viz.:  San  Diego, 
Orange,  Los  Angeles,  Ventura  and 
Santa  Barbara,  are  more  favorable  for 
'  lemons.  The  best  results  have  been 
obtained  along  the  foothill  sections  of 
these  counties  where  the  climate  is 
moderated  by  the  ocean  breezes, 
which  seems  to  be  conducive  to  the 
production  of  fruit  the  year  around 
— a  matter  of  vast  importance  to  the 
lemon  grower.  However  we  do  not 
wish  to  be  understood  as  saying  that 
lemon  culture  is  geographically  lim- 
ited in  this  state.  To  a  greater  or  less 
extent  lemons  are  grown  along  the 
entire  length  of  the  San  Joaquin  Val- 
ley, and  the  quality  of  the  fruit  is  of 
the  best.  Climatic  conditions,  how- 
ever, are  such  that  few  summer 
lemons  are  produced  in  this  section, 
the  bulk  of  the  crop  maturing  in  the 
fall  and  winter  months.  Quite  a  por- 
tion of  this  fruit  matures  early 
enough  in  the  fall  to  still  reach  a  good 
market  at  a  time  when  foreign  impor- 
tations are  light  and  usually  brings 
good  returns.  That  part  of  the  crop 
coming  off  during  the  winter  months 
has  to  be  stored  until  spring  before  it 
can  be  sold  to  advantage. 

Pomelos,  commonly  known  as 
"grape  fruit,"  are  being  more  largely 
produced  in  California  than  in  former 
years.  This  fruit  has  not  met  with 
the  favor  that  it  should,  from  the  buy- 
ers, and  in  our  opinion  this  is  due 
largely  to  the  fact  that  the  fruit  has 
been  placed  on  the  market  before  it  is 
sufficiently  matured  to  be  at  its  best. 
As  a  result  of  this  the  consumer  has 
condemned  California  Pomelos. 

Pomelos  are  grown  in  all  localities 
where  orange  and  lemons  thrive,  al- 
though the  tree  when  young  is  more 
susceptible  to  frost  than  the  orange. 
The  soil  and  climatic  conditions  in 
the  citrus  belt  of  the  San  Joaquin 
Valley  seems  to  be  particularly  adapt- 
ed to  the  growing  of  the  Pomelo,  and 
we  think  the  quality  of  the  fruit  is 
superior  to  that  grown  nearer  the 
coast.  The  productiveness  of  the 
trees,  together  with  the  prices  ob- 
tained for  the  fruit,  makes  it  a  very 
remunerative  crop. 


THEIR   CULTURE  AND   MANAGEMENT 


MODERN    METHODS   IN    CITRUS    CULTURE 


The  eight  essentials  in  the  planting 
and  caretaking  of  a  citrus  orchard 
may  be  tersely  summarized  under 
eight  counts,  as  follows: 


1.  Preparing  the  land. 

2.  Distance  to  plant. 

3.  Laying  out  the  ground. 

4.  Selecting  the  trees. 

5.  Proper  methods  of  planting. 

6.  The  tree;  the  soil;  the  care. 

7.  Care  of  the  orchard. 

8.  Fertilizers  and  fertiliaztion. 


Preparing  the   Land 


We  will  assume  that  the  intending 
planter  has  selected  his  land  in  a  suit- 
able location  for  the  variety  that  he 
has  decided  upon  planting.  Should 
the  land  be  uneven,  the  first  thing  to 
do  will  be  to  have  it  graded  so  that 
there  will  be  no  question  about  the 
irrigating  water  running  over  every 
part  of  it.  The  planter  cannot  be  too 
particular  about  this  part  of  the 
work  as  it  is  not  only  expensive  but 
hazardous  to  grade  land  after  it  has 
been  planted.  If  there  is  any  ques- 
tion about  the  water  not  running  over 
the  ground,  it  is  best,  if  the  water  is 
obtainable,  to  plow  furrows  over  that 
part  of  the  land  you  are  uncer- 
tain about  and  run  the  water  through 
the  furrows  to  test  it  out.  In  fact,  it 
is  customary  in  some  localities  to  re- 
quire the  party  who  contracts  to  do 
the  grading  to  run  furrows  20  or  30 
feet  apart  and  run  the  water  through 
them  before  paying  for  the  work. 

After  the  grading  is  properly  done, 
the  whole  tract  should  be  plowed  to 
the  depth  of  12  inches  and  well  har- 
rowed down  so  as  to  be  free  from 
clods.  The  plowing  should  be  done 
in  the  winter  or  early  spring  after 
there  has  been  enough  rain  to  wet  the 
soil  down  to  the  depth  that  you  wish 
to  plow.  If  properly  plowed  and  har- 
rowed, the  land  should  now  be  in  a 
fairly  level  condition,  free  from  clods 
and  ready  to  lay  off  for  planting. 

Distance  to  Plant  Apart. 

This  question  should  receive  serious 
consideration  of  the  planter,  as,  unlike 
planting  ordinary  farm  crops  where  a 


mistake  can  be  rectified  the  following 
year,  the  citrus  orchard  is  planted  but 
once  in  a  lifetime.  The  different  va- 
rieties should  be  planted  according  to 
the  growth  and  habit  of  the  trees,  the 
idea  being  at  all  times  to  plant  far 
enough  apart  so  that  the  trees  will  not 
be  crowded  when  full  grown,  and  so 
that  the  sunlight  will,  at  some  time 
during  the  day,  reach  nearly  the  whole 
outer  surface  and  as  much  of  the 
ground  around  the  tree  as  possible. 
The  soil  needs  a  certain  amount  of 
sunlight  and  air  to  keep  it  in  a  fertile 
condition,  and  the  tree  must  have  sun- 
light and  air  or  it  cannot  produce 
fruit.  Planted  too  closely  and  where 
they  crowd  each  other  causes  the  tree 
to  only  produce  fruit  on  the  top,  which 
gets  the  required  light  and  air.  The 
sides  of  the  tree  and  lower  limbs, 
where  the  fruit  should  be  produced,  re- 
main barren. 

The  Washington  Navel  and  other 
varieties  of  similar  growth  should  not 
be  planted  closer  than  22  feet  each 
way.  It  is  our  opinion  that  24  feet 
would  be  better  in  localities  where  the 
soil  is  such  that  more  than  ordinary 
growth  may  be  expected.  The  Wash- 
ington Navel  is  not  usually  a  rapid  or 
vigorous  growing  tree.  Where  it  is 
planted  in  light  alluvial  soil  it  makes  a 
much  larger  tree  than  where  planted 
in  heavier  soil.  For  this  reason  we 
would  advise  planting  at  a  little  great- 
er distance  apart  under  such  condi- 
tions. 

The  Valencia  Late  should  be  plant- 
ed 24  feet  apart  each  way,  and  pos- 
sibly 25  or  26  feet  would  be  better  in 
some  localities,  as  it  is  a  vigorous 
grower.  It  requires  more  room  than 
the  Washington  Navel  to  produce  the 
best  results.  . 

Lemon  trees  should  also  be  planted 
at  least  24  feet  apart,  as  they  are  much 
more  vigorous  than  any  of  the  budded 
oranges  and  require  quite  severe  prun- 
ing to  make  them  fruit  properly.  The 
common  practice  of  pruning,  and  that 
which  is  generally  accepted  as  the 
best,  is  to  keep  the  tops  well  pruned, 
which  forces  the  side  branches  to 
spread  out,  thus  requiring  that  they  be 
planted  a  little  further  apart  in  order 
to  afford  room  for  this  spreading,  as 
well  as  for  room  to  work  around  them. 


8 


CITRUS  FRUITS  IN   CALIFORNIA: 


Some  of  the  slower  growing  varie- 
ties, such  as  the  Satsumas  (Oonshius), 
Mexican  Limes  and  Kumquats,  can  be 
planted  as  close  as  14  or  16  feet  apart 
each  way,  as  they  never  make  a  very 
large  tree. 


The  Laying  Out  of  the  Ground. 

The  first  thing  is  to  decide  what 
system  or  method  you  are  going  to 
use.  The  two  most  practical  methods 
used  in  citrus  planting  are  the  square 


Square  and  Equilateral  Triangle  Methods. 


DISTANCES  APART 

12  feet  apart  each  way.... 

14  "    "    '*   "  

15  "    "    "   "  

16  "    "    "   "  

I  O     «        <«         «       « 

20  "    "    "   "  IZ 

20x22  feet  apart 

22x22 
22x24 
24x24 
26x26 
30x30 
40x40 
50x50 


Square 

302 

222 

193 

170 

134 

108 

99 

90 

82 

75 

64 

48 

27 

17 


Equilateral 
Triangle 

348 

256 
222 
196 
154 
125 

103 

"86 
73 

55 
31 
19 


RULE  SQUARE  METHOD— Multiply  the  distance  in  feet  between  the  rows  by 
the  distance  the  plants  are  apart  in  the  rows,  and  the  product  will  be  the  number  of 
square  feet  for  each  plant  or  hill ;  which,  divided  into  the  number  of  feet  in  an  acre 
(43,560)  will  give  the  number  of  plants  or  trees  to  an  acre. 

RULE  EQUILATERAL  TRIANGLE  METHOD— Divide  the  number  required 
to  tht  acre  "square  method"  by  the  decimal  866.  The  result  will  be  the  number  of 
plants  required  to  the  acre  by  this  method.  See  diagram. 


Pomelos  are  of  a  vigorous  nature 
and  to  get  the  best  results  they  should 
be  planted  at  least  24  feet  apart  each 
way. 

The  one  idea  for  the  beginner  to 
bear  in  mind  is  that  it  is  far  better  to 
waste  a  little  ground,  if  you  might 
term  it  that,  in  getting  an  orchard 
planted  seemingly  too  far  apart, 
rather  than  too  close. 


and  the  equilateral  triangle  systems, 
both  of  which  are  herewith  illustrated. 
The  accompanying  table  gives  the 
number  of  trees  or  plants  that  can  be 
planted  at  any  given  distance  apart. 

We  think  that  the  square  method 
will  generally  give  the  best  results, 
and  recommend  it  in  preference  to  the 
equilateral.  While  the  last  named 
gives  a  few  more  trees  to  the  acre  and 


THEIR  CULTURE  AND   MANAGEMENT 


apparently  gives  the  same  amount  of 
room  between  the  trees,  yet  as  the 
trees  get  older  they  will  come  nearer 
to  occupying  all  the  space,  conse- 
quently giving  less  room  for  cultiva- 
tion and  harvesting  the  crops.  This  is 
an  important  item  in  both  the  cost  of 
caring  for  the  orchard  and  in  its  pro- 
ductions. We  would  advise  those 
wishing  to  plant  by  the  equilateral 
method  to  use  it  with  the  idea  of  giv- 
ing the  tree  more  room  rather  than  to 
get  more  trees  to  the  acre,  that  is,  if 
bv  planting  22  feet  apart  by  the  square 
method,  which  would  give  you  90 
trees  to  the  acre,  the  planter  could  use 
the  equilateral  triangle  method  and 
plant  them  23  feet  6  inches  apart,  thus 
giving  the  tree  an  additional  foot  and 
a  half  more  space. 

In  laying  out  the  ground  be  careful 
to  get  the  rows  straight  and  all  the 
same  distance  apart,  then  the  trees 
will  line  from  every  direction.  Noth- 
ing so  mars  the  appearance  of  an  or- 
chard as  crooked  and  irregular  rows. 
It  is  just  as  easy  to  have  them  plant- 
ed straight  if  a  little  care  is  used. 

After  the  tract  has  been  properly 
staked,  the  holes  for  the  trees  should 
be  dug — that  is,  provided  the  trees' are 
ready  for  delivery,  as  it  is  best  not  to 
have  the  holes  open  too  long  before 
planting  on  account  of  the  ground  dry- 
ing out.  The  holes  should  be  dug  not 
less  than  18  inches  deep  and  18  inches 
in  diameter.  This  allows  plenty  of 
room  to  work  the  soil  around  the  roots 
of  the  tree,  or  around  the  ball  if  balled 
trees  are  used.  With  balled  trees  it  is 
best  not  to  dig  the  holes  too  deep,  as 
the  tree  is  sure  to  settle  when  the  wa- 
ter is  applied.  This  will  necessitate 
raising  the  tree  again.  In  cases  where 
it  is  necessary  to  dig  the  holes  deeper 
on  account  of  blasting  for  hard  pan, 
the  soil  should  be  settled  in  the  bot- 
tom of  the  hole  with  water  before 
planting. 

Selecting  the  Trees 

The  beginner  should  exercise  care  in 
selecting  his  trees.  While  chances  of 
getting  trees  that  are  not  true  to  name 
are  not  as  great  as  in  former  years,  yet 
it  behooves  the  planter  to  buy  his 
stock  of  an  established  nurseryman, 
where  every  care  is  exercised  to  prop- 
erly grow  the  tree.  He  is  not  only 
sure  of  getting  a  tree  that  has  been 
properly  grown,  but  if  a  mistake  oc- 
curs in  the  variety  or  name,  the  re- 


sponsible nurseryman  is  always  ready 
to  rectify  the  error.  A  few  cents  dif- 
ference in  the  price  of  a  tree  is  a  small 


Tree  trimmed  ready  for  packing. 

item  when  you  take  into  consideration 
the  difference  between  poorly  grown 
trees  and  good  ones. 

Whether  to  plant  balled  or  naked 
root  trees  is  a  matter  that  should  re- 
ceive consideration.  We  advise  plant- 


10 


CITRUS  FRUITS  IN   CALIFORNIA: 


ing  balled  trees  where  conditions  are 
unfavorable,  as  a  balled  tree  is  in  con- 
dition, if  properly  taken  up,  to  stand 
more  hardship  than  one  with  naked  or 
open  roots. 

Naked  root  trees  are  often  planted 
with  good  results  and  with  little  loss, 
but  if  a  large  acreage  is  being  planted 
and  the  work  of  planting  has  to  be  in- 
trusted to  hired  help,  it  is  best  to  plant 
balled  trees.  The  loss  will  be  very 
light  unless  they  are  absolutely  neg- 
lected, and  this  difference  will  often 
more  than  cover  the  additional  cost  of 
balling  and  freight  charges.  Another 
advantage  of  the  balled  over  naked 
root  trees  is,  it  is  not  necessary  to 
plant  immediately  upon  arrival.  They 
can  be  held  in  a  lath  house  or  shed  for 
several  months  should  conditions  re- 
quire it,  and  by  sprinkling  them  to 
keep  the  balls  moist,  they  will  keep 
in  perfect  condition  and  be  ready  to 
plant  at  any  time.  In  balling  trees 
they  should  be  taken  out  carefully  so 
as  not  to  shatter  the  ball  or  disturb 
any  of  the  roots  contained  in  it,  as  by 
so  doing  the  advantage  of  balling  is 
lost.  We  take  particular  pains  along 
this  line  to  see  that  the  men  engaged 
in  the  work  use  every  precaution  to 
get  out  a  perfect  balled  tree.  We  have 
gone  to  considerable  expense  in  select- 
ing soil  suitable  for  balling  purposes, 
hence  we  feel  that  we  can  furnish  cus- 
tomers perfectly  balled  trees. 

We  also  take  every  precaution  in 
taking  up  naked-root  trees,  and  where 
excessive  freight  rates  prohibit  the  use 
of  balled  trees,  we  can  furnish  naked- 
root  trees  taken  up  under  the  most  fa- 
vorable conditions,  and  properly 
packed  so  as  to  reach  destination  in  a 
growing  condition,  no  matter  how  dis- 
tant. Naked-root  trees  should  first  be 
topped  in  the  nursery  and  defoliated, 
at  the  same  time  the  tap  roots  should 
be  cut.  This  causes  the  tree  to  re- 
turn to  the  dormant  state  and  just  as 
the  buds  begin  to  swell  and  the  trees 
show  signs  of  starting  to  grow  they 
are  taken  up  and  carefully  packed  in 
moss  for  shipment.  Plenty  of  moss  is 
used  to  insure  the  roots  against  heat- 
ing in  transit.  Many  packers  make  the 
mistake  of  having  the  moss  too  wet, 
which  is  as  detrimental  to  the  tree  as 
having  it  too  dry.  Trees  packed  in 
this  .condition  will  start  to  grow  in  the 
boxes,  and  if  properly  insulated  from 
outside  heat,  will  carry  indefinitelv  and 
will  be  in  perfect  growing  condition  on 
arrival  at  destination. 


Proper  Methods  of  Planting 

In  planting,  set  the  trees  so  that 
when  the  soil  settles  the  union  of  the 
bud  with  the  stock  will  be  at  least  a 
couple  of  inches  above  the  ground.  Be 


Tree    showing    strong   root   development. 

sure  to  settle  the  soil  around  the  tree 
with  water,  whether  planting  naked- 
root  trees  or  balled.  This  should  be 
done  as  soon  after  planting  as  pos- 
sible, and  if  the  weather  is  warm  it  is 
best  to  have  the  water  following  the 
planting,  so  that  but  a  few  minutes 
will  intervene  between  the  time  of 
planting  and  the  time  when  the  water 
reaches  it. 

If  planting  naked-root  trees,  have 
the  water  in  the  holes  first,  then  set 
the  tree  and  fill  in  with  earth  grad- 


THEIR   CULTURE  AND   MANAGEMENT 


11 


The  four  sizes  of  balled  citrus  trees. 


ually,  and  spread  out  the  lateral  roots 
with  the  hands,  so  that  they  will  be 
in  about  the  same  position  as  they 


grew  in  the  nursery.  It  is  often  best 
to  use  a  tank  wagon  for  the  first  irri- 
gation of  naked-root  trees. 


12 


CITRUS  FRUITS  IN  CALIFORNIA: 


In  filling  in  the  hole  around  a  balled 
tree,  never  tramp  on  top  of  the  ball, 
as  it  will  break  it,  dislodge  the  fibrous 
roots,  and  in  many  instances  cause  the 
tree  to  die.  After  the  hole  in  which 
the  balled  tree  is  planted  is  partially 
filled,  cut  the  cord  at  the  top  of  the 
ball  and  turn  down  the  burlap  so  that 
it  will  be  completely  buried  when  the 
remainder  of  the  hole  is  filled  in.  If 
this  is  not  done,  the  cultivator  teeth, 
when  cultivating,  are  apt  to  catch  on 
the  burlap  and  will  oftentimes  pull  the 
tree  out  of  the  ground  or  disturb  it  to 
such  an  extent  that  it  will  die  before 
the  trouble  is  detected.  It  is  not  nec- 
essary to  remove  the  burlap  from  the 
ball;  if  properly  turned  down  it  will 
soon  rot. 

After  the  trees  are  planted  and  irri- 
gated and  before  the  earth  has  be- 
come firm  around  them,  they  should 
be  carefully  gone  over  and  straight- 
ened up,  as  more  or  less  of  them  will 
settle  to  one  side  or  the  other,  and  un- 
less straightened  up  right  away  will 
give  the  orchard  a  bad  appearance.  It 
will  also  be  found  that  some  of  the 
trees  have  settled  more  than  others; 
these  should  be  raised  before  the  earth 
becomes  firm  around  them. 

Newly  planted  trees  should  be  given 
a  light  irrigation  every  ten  days  or  two 
weeks  until  they  begin  to  make  some 
growth.  After  that  it  is  not  necessary 
to  irrigate  quite  as  often.  They  may 
be  left  from  three  to  four  weeks,  ac- 
cording to  the  weather. 

Never  allow  young  trees  to  want  for 
water.  If  they  should  show  signs  of 
being  dry,  give  them  a  light  irrigation 
right  away.  After  the  first  year  from 
planting  the  trees  should  not  be  irri- 
gated quite  so  often.  If  properly  culti- 
vated, one  irrigation  every  month  or  six 
weeks  is  sufficient.  In  fact,  trees  will 
do  better  if  only  irrigated  once  every 
six  weeks,  provided  the  ground  is  kept 
thoroughly  cultivated  between  irriga- 
tions. The  planter  should  bear  in  mind 
the  fact  that  thorough  cultivation  is 
just  as  essential  as  irrigation.  Care 
should  be  exercised  to  prevent  the  wa- 
ter from  standing  any  length  of  time 
around  the  stem  of  the  tree.  In  heavy 
soil  this  is  almost  sure  to  cause  gum 
disease.  In  addition  to  cultivation  for 
the  purpose  of  filling  in  the  irrigation 
furrows,  newly  planted  trees  should  be 
carefully  hoed  after  each  watering,  so 
as  to  avoid  the  possibility  of  the 
ground  baking  or  cracking. 


The  Tree,  the  Soil,  the  Care. 

Our  citrus  trees  are  headed  about  26 
inches  from  the  ground,  hence  all  that 
is  necessary  in  planting  is  to  shorten 
the  branches  forming  the  head  to  eight 
inches.  Trees  headed  at  four  feet  or 
more  should  be  cut  back  to  28  inches 
for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  new  head. 
High  headed  trees  are  always  objec- 
tionable, for  they  not  only  expose 
much  of  the  stem,  causing  sunburn, 
but  in  addition  to  this  the  tree  is  re- 
tarded in  acquiring  a  sturdy,  compact 
growth.  Never  neglect  to  protect  the 
stem  of  young  trees.  Wrap  them  with 
burlap,  paper  or  tules,  but  the  best  and 
most  serviceable  tree  protector  is  one 
made  from  yucca  fibre.  This  allows 
the  free  circulation  of  air  around  the 
stem  of  the  tree.  The  protection  of 
the  stem  prevents  the  development  of 
suckers  and  obviates  the  danger  from 
sunburn,  while  the  top  growth  is  stim- 
ulated. 

In  order  to  meet  soil  and  climatic 
conditions  in  different  sections,  we  bud 
our  citrus  trees  on  the  following 
stocks:  Sweet  Orange  (Citrus  Auran- 
tium  Dulcis),  Sour  Orange  (Citrus  Au- 
rantium  Amara)  and  Deciduous  Or- 
ange (Citrus  Trifoliata).  On  the  first 
named  sort  the  budded  trees  outgrow 
those  on  any  other  root,  and  practi- 
cally all  the  old  groves  of  the  state 
are  worked  on  this  stock  and  are 
thrifty  and  healthy,  except  when  sit- 
uated on  soils  where  there  is  an  ex- 
cess of  moisture  during  certain  sea- 
sons. Sweet  Orange  seedlings  are 
grown  from  the  seed  of  the  common 
sweet  seedling  orange.  Sour  orange 
seedlings  are  grown  from  the  seed  of 
the  sour  orange  so  extensively  grown 
in  Florida  as  a  stock  for  budding  prac- 
tically all  types  of  citrus  fruits.  Al- 
though the  buds  do  not  grow  as  rap- 
idly or  attain  as  large  a  size  in  mature 
trees,  this  stock  is  much  more  resist- 
ant to  gum  disease,  hence  it  has  been 
in  much  demand  in  recent  years  for 
heavy  soils,  where  water  was  apt  to 
stand  for  any  length  of  time,  either 
because  of  summer  irrigation  or  a 
heavv  rainfall  in  the  winter  months. 

There  has  been  an  increasing  de- 
mand for  trees  budded  on  sour  orange 
root  for  planting  in  the  heavier  soils 
on  account  of  the  prevalence  of  gum 
disease.  However,  it  has  been  our  ex- 
perience that  this  is  of  little  benefit  on 
account  of  the  prevailing  custom  of 
budding  trees  within  two  or  four 


THEIR   CULTURE   AND   MANAGEMENT 


13 


inches  of  the  ground.  As  the  union  of 
the  stocks  seems  to  be  the  weak  part 
of  the  tree,  where  the  gum  disease  usu- 
ally makes  its  first  appearance,  the  cus- 
tom of  low  budding  practically  de- 
stroys the  usefulness  of  the  sour  seed- 
ling as  far  as  this  disease  is  concerned. 
For  planting  on  heavy  soils,  trees 
should  be  budded  at  least  six  inches 


We  have  trees  budded  on  this  root 
growing  in  ou-r  experimental  grounds, 
and  while  they  are  somewhat  smaller 
than  those  of  the  same  age  budded  on 
sweet  orange  root,  this  is  accounted 
for  by  the  fact  that  trees  budded  on 
Citrus  Trifolia  roots  are  very  heavy 
bearers,  and  therefore  do  not  make  the 


Four-year  Valencia  Late  tree  and  cluster  of  fruit. 


or  a  foot  above  the  ground.  It  has 
been  our  experience  that  trees  budded 
on  sweet  root  are  much  less  subject  to 
this  disease  when  budded  at  this  height 
from  the  ground. 

The  Citrus  Trifoliata  is  a  native  of 
Japan  and  is  the  hardiest  orange 
known.  It  is  deciduous;  its  fruits  are 
very  bitter  and  of  no  commercial 
value,  but  its  hardiness  seems  to  ex- 
ercise a  decided  influence  on  the  bud- 
ded tree.  It  is  said  to  be  more  resist- 
ent  to  cold  than  any  other  stock.  It  is 
also  much  prized  as  a  hedge  plant, 
making  an  impenetrable  barrier  to 
man  and  beast.  An  erroneous  impres- 
sion has  often  been  created  in  the 
minds  of  some  people  that  because  it 
is  extensively  used  as  a  stock  for  trees 
grown  in  pots  and  tubs  (for  which  it  is 
particularly  adapted),  it  dwarfs  trees 
when  planted  in  orchard  form.  Actual 
tests  have  proven  this  to  be  a  mistake 


growth  that  trees  with  less  fruit  make. 
It  has  been  proven  that  they  more 
than  make  up,  in  bearing  qualities, 
what  they  lack  in  growth. 

We  have  also  experimented  with 
trees  budded  on  this  root  as  to  their 
hardiness  and  find  that  they  are  not 
only  as  resistant  to  gum  disease  as 
trees  budded  on  sour  root,  but  that 
they  will  stand  much  more  cold  than 
trees  budded  on  either  sweet  or  sour 
stock.  This  is  on  account  of  their  de- 
ciduous nature,  which  causes  the  tree 
to  become  dormant,  or  nearly  so,  very 
early  in  the  fall,  and  it  is  a  well-known 
fact  that  the  nearer  a  citrus  tree  is  to 
being  perfectly  dormant  the  more  cold 
it  will  stand.  We,  therefore,  use  this 
stock  quite  extensively  for  budding  on 
the  more  tender  varieties,  such  as  lem- 
ons, limes  and  pomelos,  and  find  that 
it  makes  them  almost  as  hardy  as  or- 
anges. 


A   block   of  two-year-old   nursery   trees. 
A  well  cared  for  Navel  orange  grove. 


-ate   orange   orchard. 


Cover  crop  in  young  lemon  grove. 
Picking  oranges  in  midwinter. 


16 


CITRUS  FRUITS   IN   CALIFORNIA: 


Another  condition  favorable  to  the 
use  of  trees  budded  on  this  root  is 
the  early  ripening  of  the  fruit.  Ac- 
tual tests  made  by  us,  on  our 
grounds,  have  proven  it  to  be  a  fact 
that  Navels  not  only  color  somewhat 
earlier,  but  that  the  fruit  is  much 
sweeter  and  finer  flavored  than  the 
fruit  from  trees  grown  on  sweet  root, 
growing  in  the  same  block  of  ground 
and  under  similar  condition. 

Taking  all  of  these  points  into  con- 
sideration, we  feel  safe  in  recom- 
mending the  Citrus  Trifoliata  as  a  de- 
sirable stock  to  bud  on  and  are  sure 
that  planters  cannot  make  a  mistake 
by  using  trees  budded  on  this  stock. 

Care    of   the    Orchard. 

The  old  adage  that  "what  is  worth 
doing  at  all  is  worth  doing  well,"  ap- 
plies to  citrus  fruit  culture,  as  well  as 
to  all  other  lines  of  horticulture  and 
agriculture,  and  in  no  other  line  are 
the'  rewards  greater. 

While  an  orange  or  lemon  tree  will 
stand  as  much  or  more  abuse  than 
any  other  tree,  yet  no  other  tree 'will 
respond  more  quickly  and  more  prof- 
itably to  proper  care  and  cultivation. 
The  grower  who  is  careful  not  to  let 
his  orchard  want  for  care  or  for  fer- 
tilization, is  the  one  who  always  reaps 
a  bountiful  harvest. 

It  would  be  a  difficult  matter  to  lay 
down  any  hard  or  fast  rule  covering 
the  irrigation  and  cultivation  of  a  cit- 
rus orchard,  as  the  soil  and  the  cli- 
matic conditions  have  a  great  deal  to 
do  with  the  proper  time  and  manner 
of  these  two  necessary  requisites. 

Generally  speaking,  in  California, 
citrus  orchards  should  receive  from 
three  to  four  irrigations  durinp-  the 
summer  months.  These  should  be 
given  from  six  to  eight  weeks  apart. 
By  irrigation  we  mean  a  thorough 
wetting;  that  is,  the  water  should  be 
run  long  enough  to  wet  up  the  sub- 
soil as  deep  and  as  far  out  as  the 
roots  penetrate.  In  light,  sandy  soils 
the  time  required  to  do  this  is  very 
short,  but  in  the  heavier  soils  it  often 
requires  several  days  to  properly  sat- 
urate the  subsoil  and  the  only  satis- 
factory way  to  irrigate  such  soils  is 
by  the  furrow  method:  that  is  by 
running  several  furrows,  according  to 
the  age  of  the  orchard,  between  the 
rows  and  allowing  very  small  streams 
of  water  to  run  down  each  furrow. 
These  streams  should  be  of  such  size 


that  it  will  take  them  from  24  to  48 
hours  to  run  across  a  ten  acre  tract, 
which  gives  the  water  time  to  pene- 
trate the  subsoil.  In  some  of  the 
heavier  soils,  if  the  water  is  allowed 
to  run  through  the  furrows  too  fast 
it  will  coat  over  the  furrow  with  a 
fine  silt  and  it  is  then  almost  impos- 
sible to  get  the  water  to  penetrate  the 
soil.  The  result  of  this  is  that  the 
water  goes  to  waste  and  the  trees 
remain  in  a  dry  condition.  This  con- 
dition is  only  apt  to  occur  on  hillside 
lands,  where  the  fall  is  quite  heavy. 

On  the  lighter  sediment  lands  it  is 
not  necessary  to  let  the  water  run  so 
long,  in  fact,  some  of  these  lands  will 
become  sufficiently  wet  by  allowing 
the  water  to  run  only  a  few  hours. 
Only  on  extremely  level  and  sandy 
lands  is  it  advisable  to  flood  citrus 
orchards  and  then  water  should  not 
be  allowed  to  stand  around  the  trees 
for  any  length  of  time.  Ordinarily, 
no  irrigation  is  required  during  the 
winter  months,  although  in  some  sea- 
sons it  is  necessary  to  irrigate  up  to 
December. 

The  length  of  time  required  for  the 
land  to  dry  sufficiently  for  cultivation 
after  an  irrigation  depends  largely  on 
the  nature  of  the  soil  and  weather 
conditions.  A  light,  sandy  soil  will 
dry  enough  to  cultivate  within  24 
hours  after  the  water  is  taken  off,  but 
heavier  soils  require  several  days  of 
sunshine  before  they  can  be  properly 
cultivated.  The  soil  should  be  drv 
enough  so  that  it  pulverizes  or  falls 
apart  as  it  is  turned  up  by  the  culti- 
vator. If  it  is  inclined  to  stick  to- 
gether and  turn  up  in  solid  masses  it 
should  be  left  to  dry  another  day  or 
two.  In  some  of  the  heavier  soils 
where  the  drying  process  is  very 
slow,  it  is  often  times  best  to  fill  in 
the  furrows  with  a  harrow  as  soon 
as  the  surface  shows  signs  of  baking 
or  crusting,  then  follow  with  cultiva- 
tor a  day  or  two  later.  This  prevents 
the  surface  getting  too  dry  while  that 
below  is  getting  sufficiently  so  to  cul- 
tivate properly  thus  obviating  the  soil 
breaking  up  in  large  clods.  Outside 
of  the  benefit  of  turning  over  and 
aerating  the  soil,  the  main  benefit  of 
cultivation  is  the  forming  of  a  mulch 
of  finely  pulverized  soil,  which  keeps 
the  subsoil  from  drying  out  and  un- 
less the  cultivation  is  done  so  as  to 
properly  pulverize  the  top  soil  a  large 
part  of  the  benefit  of  cultivation  is 


Valencia  Late 
Mediterranean  Sweet 


Marsh  Seedless  Pomelo 

Dancy  Tangerine 
Willow   Leaf  Mandarin 


Ruby  Blood 
Kumquats 


18 


CITRUS  FRUITS  IN   CALIFORNIA: 


lost,  as  loose,  cloddy  soil  will  dry  out 
almost  as  fast  as  though  uncultivated. 
The  deeper  and  finer  the  top  soil  is 
stirred  the  less  water  the  tree  will  re- 
quire. We  strongly  recommend  the 
thorough  cultivation  of  citrus  trees  to 
a  depth  of  from  4  to  6  inches  where  it 
is  possible  and  that  the  orchard  be 
cultivated  from  four  to  eight  times 
between  each  irrigation.  It  is  at  times 
impossible  to  cultivate  more  than  two 
or  four  inches  deeo  the  first  time  after 
an  irrigation  withou  turning  up  mud, 
but  by  setting  the  cultivator  a  little 
deeper  each  time  the  ground  is  gone 
over,  a  depth  of  five  or  eight  inches 
can  be  attained  in  six  or  seven  culti- 
vations. It  is  not  best  to  do  all  the 
cultivating  at  once  as  it  should  be 
distributed  over  the  interval  between 
the  irrigations  and  in  this  way  helps 
to  conserve  the  moisture  in  the  sub- 
soil which  prevents  the  tree  from  suf- 
fering. 

Fertilizers   and   Fertilization. 

It  is  best  to  begin  the  study  of  soil 
fertility  early  as  it  is  far  better  to 
feed  the  soil  before  it  is  exhausted. 
How  best  this  can  be  done  is  a  ques- 
tion that  has  been  puzzling  our  best 
orchardists  for  a  number  of  years, 
and  it  will,  no  doubt,  continue  to  do 
so  for  years  to  come  as  there  are  so 
many  different  soil  conditions  to  con- 
tend with  that  it  is  impossible  to  lay 
down  any  rule  that  will  apply  in  all 
cases. 

It  is  a  well  known  fact  that  nitro- 
gen, phosphoric  acid  and  potash  are 
the  three  chemicals  required  in  the 
soil  to  produce  and  sustain  plant  life, 
and  chemists  have  figured  out  just 
how  much  -of  each  of  these  are  re- 
quired for  the  different  plants  and 
trees,  and  how  much  the  different 
crops  will  take  from  the  soil,  yet, 
when  it  comes  to  analyzing  the  soil 
it  will  be  found  that  most  of  the  soil 
contains  a  sufficient  amount  of  all 
these  ingredients  to  produce  crops, 
and  yet  the  tree  may  show  that  some- 
thing is  lacking.  This  is  accounted 
for  by  the  fact  that  any  analysis  of 
the  soil  will  show  what  it  contains, 
but  does  not  tell  whether  the  plant 
food  is  available,  and  unless  it  is  in 
such  form  that  the  roots  can  feed 
upon  it,  it  is  useless  and  other  plant 
food  will  have  to  be  furnished.  For 
this  reason,  the  question  of  fertiliza- 
tion can  only  be  determined  bv  the 
growth  of  the  trees;  at  the  same  time 


it  is  not  advisable  to  let  the4  orchard 
go  without  any  fertilization  until  it 
begins  to  show  a  starved  condition. 
By  applying  about  the  same  amount 
of  plant  food  that  the  tree  takes  from 
the  ground  each  year,  it  should  pre- 
vent the  soil  from  becoming  exhaust- 
ed. Then  if  the  tree  shows  by  its 
growth  a  lack  of  certain  ingredients, 
it  can  be  supplied  accordingly.  It 
has  been  our  observation  that  barn- 
yard manure  applied  in  liberal  quanti- 
ties is  one  of  the  best  fertilizers  for 
the  promotion  of  growth,  as  it  not 
only  supplies  considerable  plant  food 
but  assists  in  making  that  already  in 
the  ground  more  available  by  its  ac- 
tion in  loosening  up  the  soil. 

Cover  crops  of  legumes,  such  as 
peas,  vetch,  fenugreek  and  burr  clover, 
are  also  quite  generally  used  and  are 
giving  good  results.  They  are  sown 
in  the  late  summer  or  early  fall,  and 
allowed  to  grow  during  the  fall  and 
winter  and  are  then  plowed  under  in 
the  spring.  The  value  of  a  cover 
crop  depends  largely  on  the  amount 
of  growth  it  makes  and  the  manner  in 
which  it  is  turned  under.  To  get  the 
best  results  a  legume  should  be  se- 
lected that  will  make  a  heavy  growth 
and  then  thoroughly  turned  under  in 
the  spring.  No  cover  crop,  fertilizer 
or  manure,  is  of  any  particular  value 
on  top  of  the  ground.  It  must  be 
turned 'under  or  placed  in  the  ground 
where  the  rootlets  of  the  tree  can 
feed  upon  it. 

Commercial  fertilizers  are  used 
quite  extensively  and  with  good  re- 
sults, but  on  account  of  the  cost,  a 
good  many  growers  do  not  use 
enough  per  tree  to  get  the  best  re- 
sults. It  is  necessary  to  use  some 
commercial  fertilizer  in  connection 
with  the  use  of  barnyard  manure  or 
cover  crops  in  order  to  supply  all  the 
ingredients  necessary  to  properly 
feed  the  tree. 

The  planter  should  bear  in  mind 
that  no  matter  what  form  of  fertiliza- 
tion is  used,  satisfactory  results  Can- 
not be  obtained  unless  the  soil  is 
properly  cultivated  as  the  rootlets  of 
the  tree  cannot  take  up  the  plant  food 
unless  the  soil  is  kept  in  condition 
so  that  these  feeders  can  continue  un- 
disturbed in  quest  of  it. 

The  Time  to   Plant. 

Citrus  trees  being  evergreen  they 
can  be  planted  at  all  seasons  of  the 
year,  although  the  months  of  March, 


THEIR  CULTURE  AND   MANAGEMENT 


19 


April,  May  and  June  are  considered 
the  most  favorable.  In  the  interior 
valleys  where  it  is  extremely  hot  and 
dry  during  the  summer  months,  it  is 
advisable  to  plant  as  early  as  possible 
in  the  spring,  although  planting 
should  not  commence  until  the 
ground  is  fairly  warm 

so    that    the    tree    will        

immediately  start  to 
grow.  Trees  planted 
too  early,  while  the 
ground  is  still  cold  and 
wet,  will  remain  in  a 
dormant  condition  un- 
til the  ground  gets  suf- 
ficiently warmed  up  so 
that  they  can  make  a 
start.  When  this  con- 
dition prevails  for  any 
length  of  time  it  causes 
the  finer  roots  to  de- 
cay; as  a  consequence 
of  this,  when  the  tree 
does  start,  it  will  make 
rather  a  slow  growth 
until  new  rootlets  are 
formed.  For  this  rea- 
son it  is  advisable  to 
defer  planting  until 
conditions  are  favor- 
able for  the  tree  to- 
start  to  grow  as  soon. 
as  planted. 

Along  the  coast  where 
the  summer  climate  is 
more  moderate,  citrus  trees  are  plant- 
ed with  good  results  all  through  the 
spring  and  summer  months.  In  fact, 
the  trees  planted  during  June  and  July 
seem  to  make  nearly  as  good  a  growth 
as  those  planted  in  the  spring.  Where 
planting  cannot  be  done  before  this 
time,  it  is  our  opinion  that  July  or 
early  August  planting  is  preferable  to 
waiting  over  until  the  following 
spring.  Even  though  the  trees  do 
not  make  quite  as  vigorous  a  growth 
as  those  planted  earlier  in  the  season, 
they  make  sufficient  growth  to  be- 
come thoroughly  established,  in  con- 
sequence of  which,  they  are  all  ready 
to  start  with  the  first  touch  of  spring 
and  are  far  ahead  of  any  that  can  be 
planted  after  that  time. 

The  only  thing  necessary  to  success- 
ful summer  planting  is  to  see  that  the 
trees  are  properly  handled  from  the 
nursery  to  the  orchard  and  are  suffi- 
ciently well  irrigated  and  cultivated. 
The  prompt  application  of  water  to 
newly  planted  trees  is  very  essential 
in  late  planting. 


Bringing   the    Orchard    Into    Bearing. 

The  instructions  given  under  the 
head  of  "Growing  the  Citrus"  in  a 
general  way  covers  the  culture  of  the 
orange,  and  very  little  more  need  be 
added.  Sufficient  water  and  thorough 


A   well-shaped  Eureka  lemon  tree. 


cultivation  are  the  two  important 
items  necessary  for  the  first  few  years. 
In  pruning,  above  all  things  do  not  be 
deceived  into  the  idea  that  the  trees 
must  be  thinned  out  to  admit  air  and 
sun.  The  tendency  of  nearly  all  the 
budded  varieties  is  to  droop,  so  in 
shaping  the  tree  cut  to  a  lateral 
which  has  an  upward  tendency.  For 
the  first  four  years  except  to  check 
the  growth  of  rampant  and  interfer- 
ing branches  for  the  purpose  of  secur- 
ing a  well  rounded  symmetrical  head, 
little  or  no  pruning  is  necessary.  As 
the  tree  develops,  dead  branches  and 
those  which  are  no  longer  fruit  pro- 
ducing should  be  removed  annually. 
A  well  pruned  orange  tree  should  pre- 
sient  a  compact  mass  of  foliage  with 
none  of  the  branches  exposed  to  view. 
If  the  tree  is  to  develop  properly  it 
is  essential  that  all  water  sprouts  and 
suckers  be  kept  down. 

The  orange  begins  to  bear  fruit  the 
second  or  third  year,  but  not  in  suffi- 
cient quantities  to  be  of  commercial 
importance  although  we  have  known 


20 


CITRUS  FRUITS  IN  CALIFORNIA: 


of  well-cared  for  Navel  orchards  pro- 
ducing a  half  box  to  the  tree  the 
third  year.  It  is  best,  however,  not  to 
allow  young  trees  to  bear  too  heavily 
as  it  retards  growth  thereby  reducing 


the  bearing  area  of  the  tree  in  follow- 
ing years.  Allow  the  tree  to  devote 
its  first  years  to  producing  wood 
rather  than  fruit,  thus  increasing  its 
bearing  capacity  in  later  years. 


GROWING   AND    PACKING   THE    ORANGE 


The   grower   with   five   or  ten  acres 
of  oranges  usually  does   not  consider 
it  necessary  to  pack  his  crop,  but  in- 
trusts it  to  the 
shipper   or   as- 
sociation hand- 
ling fruit  in  his 
locality;  never- 
theless,   if    the 
growers  would 
give    packing 
more  attention 
it    would    tend 
to  improve  the 
fruit. 

It  has  been  a 
practice  of  the 
small  grower 
to  deliver  fruit 
to  the  packing 
house  without 
noticing  its 
condition  and 
quality,  wheth- 
er above  or  be- 
low the  average 
of  his  locality. 
Only  when  the 

returns  come  in  does  he  realize  that 
had  the  quality  and  size  been  better 
more  satisfactory  returns  might  have 
been  realized.  It  must  be  borne  in 
mind  that  consumers  are  human  be- 
ings like  ourselves,  and  that  unless  the 
quality  is  such  that  it  appeals  to  them, 
they  are  going  to  pass  it  up  in  much 
the  same  manner  as  we  do  when  we 
go  into  a  store  to  purchase  fruit  or 
vegetables  for  our  own  use. 

If  the  grower  will  begin  studying 
packing  and  marketing  conditions, 
noting  the  size  and  quality  of  fruit 
demanded,  methods  of  properly 
handling  and  packing  from  orchard 
to  loaded  car,  it  will  often  not  only 
assist  to  correct  bad  conditions  in  the 
orchard  for  the  production  of  the  best 
grades  of  fruit,  but  it  will  be  a  guide 
in  determining  what  shipper  to  in- 
trust with  your  crop,  for  the  shipper 
who  maintains  the  highest  and  most 
uniform  grade  of  packing  is  bound  to 
get  the  most  satisfactory  returns  for 


the  grower.  It  is  necessary,  first  of 
all,  to  keep  the  orchard  in  such  con- 
dition by  proper  methods  of  irrigating 


Method  of  furrowing  for  flooding. 


and  cultivating  that  it  will  produce 
only  the  best  quality  of.  fruit.  Size 
and  quality  cannot  always  be  gov- 
erned by  cultural  methods,  for  it  often 
happens  that  climatic  conditions  cause 
the  fruit  to  be  small  one  season  and 
large  another,  in  spite  of  the  care 
exercised.  Taken  'one  year  with  an- 
other, however,  it  pays  to  give  inten- 
sive culture. 

In  picking  and  handling  the  fruit 
care  is  essential,  as  the  carrying  qual- 
ity of  the  fruit  depends  largely  on  the 
manner  in  which  it  is  handled  from 
the  orchard  to  the  car.  The  practice 
of  having  fruit  picked  by  day  labor 
gives  better  results.  It  costs  a  little 
more  to  harvest  a  crop  this  way,  but 
the  results  are  much  more  satisfac- 
tory as  the  loss  from  bruising  is  less, 
which  more  than  offsets  the  addi- 
tional cost. 

Care  must  be  exercised  in  picking 
to  use  clippers  that  do  not  cut  or  in- 
jure the  fruit.  The  stems  must  be  cut 


THEIR  CULTURE  AND   MANAGEMENT 


21 


close,  as  one  orange  with  a  long  stem 
may  puncture  or  bruise  a  dozen  or 
more  while  passing  from  the  picking 
bags  to  the  boxes,  and  from  there  to 
the  packing  house. 

It  was  estimated  that  from  85  to 
90%  of  the  heavy  decay  in  California 
oranges,  a  few  years  ago,  was  directly 
due  to  the  methods  of  picking  and 
handling  the  fruit  in  the  orchards,  so 
that  it  is  to  the  interest  of  the  or- 
chardist  to  personally  see  that  the 


Furrow  system  of  irrigation. 


pickers  are  careful  in  cutting  the  fruit 
from  the  trees  and  placing  them  in 
the  boxes.  The  picking  bags  used 
for  this  purpose  are  "open  at  the  bot- 
tom, and  if  the  picker  is  careful,  the 
fruit  can  be  let  out  of  these  into  the 
boxes  without  allowing  it  to  drop  or 
bump  against  other  fruit  in  the  box. 
Care  must  also  be  exercised  in  filling 
the  boxes  so  that  when  stacked  in  the 
wagon  on  top  of  each  other,  the  boxes 
will  not  be  so  full  that  the  fruit  will 
get  bruised  or  smashed.  All  wagons 
for  hauling  the  fruit  should  be 


To  those  who  have  never  seen  an 
orange  packing  house  in  operation,  a 
description  of  the  methods  employed 
therein  will,  no  doubt,  be  of  some  in- 
terest. The  fruit  after  being  taken  in 
at  the  receiving  door  is  trucked  to  the 
grader,  then  dumped  into  a  hopper 
and  carried  by  a  belt  conveyer  to  the 
brushes;  these  are  so  arranged  that 
as  it  passes  through,  every  particle  of 
dust  is  brushed  off.  When  the  fruit 
is  very  dirty  it  is  sometimes  neces- 
sary to  first 
pass  it  through 
washers  where 
the  smut  and 
dirt  is  washed 
off  by  brushes 
operating  i  n 
water;  it  must 
then  be  thor- 
oughly dried 
before  going 
back  to  the 
grader.  If  the 
washing  is  not 
necessary,  the 
fruit  passes 
from  brushes 
to  the  sorting 
table  and  is 
there  selected 
as  to  quality. 
The  regular 
grades  are 
fancy,  choice, 
standards  and 
culls,  although 

some  packers  put  up  an  extra  fancy  and 
an  extra  choice  brand.  As  the  fruit  is 
sorted,  it  is  conveyed  to  the  different 
graders.  In  large  houses  a  grader  is 
used  for  each  brand,  which  are  so  ar- 
ranged that  the  fruit  passes  over  roller 
adjusted  so  that  the  different  sizes 
fall  through  into  bins  arranged  on 
either  side  of  the  grader,  and  from 
which  the  packers  take  the  fruit  and 
pack  it  into  boxes.  Where  only  one 
grader  is  used  and  one  brand  of  fruit 
runs  at  a  time,  the  remaining  fruit  is 
taken  from  the  sorting  table  before  it 


equipped  with  springs  so  as  to  reduce      reaches   the   grader   and   sent  back  to 


the  jar  and  jolting  to  a  minimum. 

The  modern  equipment  in  packing 
houses  is  calculated  to  reduce  to  a 
minimum  the  chances  of  bruising  the 
fruit  while  passing  from  the  receiv- 
ing door  to  the  car,  and  tlie  old-time 
graders  and  elevators  whereby  the 
fruit  was  subjected  to  drops  of  from 
six  to  eight  inches  have  been  con- 
signed to  the  scrap  heap. 


be  run  over  the  grader  later  on.  In 
the  larger  houses  where  several  grad- 
ers are  in  operation  at  the  same  time, 
each  grade  of  fruit  is  passed  from  the 
sorting  tables  to  a  belt  conveyor  car- 
rying it  to  the  grader  handling  that 
grade  of  fruit;  this  does  away  with 
the  necessity  of  passing  any  of  the 
fruit  over  the  sorting  table  a  second 
time.  In  sorting  the  fruit,  only  such 


22 


CITRUS  FRUITS  IN  CALIFORNIA: 


as  is  considered  perfect,  that  is  free 
from  blemishes,  sound  in  quality,  and 
fairly  smooth,  is  sorted  out  for  the 
fancy  or  extra  fancy  grade.  The  next 
best  goes  to  the  choice  grade,  and 
consists  of  such  fruit  as  may  be  only 
slightly  blem- 
ished and  pos- 
sibly not  quite 
so  smooth  as 
the  fancy 
grade,  but  oth- 
erwise sound 
and  of  good 
quality;  that 
which  is  quite 
badly  scarred 
and  with  a 
rough  skin,  but 
of  sound  and 
good  keeping 
quality,  is 
packed  as  stan- 
dard; and  all 
fruit  showing 
an  unsound 
skin,  either 
from  being 
bruised  in  pick- 
ing or  hand- 
ling, which 
tends  to  impair 
its  keeping 
qualities,  is  thrown  out  as  culls. 

The  standard  box  used  for  packing 
oranges  is  divided  into  two  compart- 


ments of  the  following  dimensions: 
11*4x11^x11^  inches  and  the  sizes 
into  which  the  oranges  are  graded 
are:  64s,  80s,  96s,  112s,  126s,  150s, 
176s,  200s,  216s,  250s,  and  324s,  and 
the  bins  are  so  arranged  that  each 


Packing  lemons  from  the  curing  trays. 


Exterior    citrus    fruit    packing   house. 


size  is  graded  into  a  separate  recep- 
tacle. After  being  packed  the  boxes 
are  carried  to  the  press  where  the 
tops  are  nailed  on;  they  are  then 
ready  to  be  loaded  into  the  cars. 

A  standard  carload  of  oranges  con- 
sists of  384  packed  boxes  of  the  fol- 
lowing sizes:  Not  more  than  38 
boxes  of  96s  or  112s,  76  boxes  of  126s 
and  38  boxes  of  216s  or  250s.  The 
remainder  of  the  car  to  be  made  up 
of  150s,  176s  and  200s.  All  larger  or 
smaller  sizes,  and  any  in  excess  of  the 
above  numbers  of  96s,  112s,  126s,  216s 
and  250s  are  considered  off  sizes  and 
are  discounted  from  25  to  50  per  box 
according  to  the  market;  150s,  176s 
and  200s  are  standard,  and  a  car  may 
be  made  up  entirely  of  these  sizes 
without  discount  although  most  mar- 
kets demand  a  certain  amount  of  large 
and  small  fruit  and  packers  usually 
try  to  load  in  accordance  with  the 
demand  of  the  market  to  which  they 
are  shipping,  as  the  buyer  will  always 
pay  more  for  a  car  that  suits  his  trade 
than  for  one  in  which  there  are  unde- 
sirable sizes. 


THEIR  CULTURE  AND   MANAGEMENT 


23 


VARIETIES   OF   ORANGES. 


THE  STANDARDS 

Joppa.  Introduced  from  Joppa,  Palestine. 
Fruit  large  and  of  red  orange  color,  nearly 
seedless ;  thin  rind ;  pulp  very  fine,  sweet  and 
juicy;  tree  thornless,  upright  grower.  Its  re- 
markable characteristic  is  that  it  can  be  left 
on  the  tree  as  late  as  July  and  still  retain  all 
the  features  of  a  first-class  shipper.  April  to 
July. 


Interior    citrus    fruit    packing    house. 


King.  Introduced  from  Siam.  Fruit  very 
large;  very  rough  rind,  which  adheres  loosely 
like  all  Mandarin  types ;  fruit  much  flattened, 
color  orange  red;  pulp  juicy,  meaty  with  a 
peculiar  attractive  aromatic  flavor  of  the  very 
best  quality.  Tree  upright,  vigorous  grower 
and  quite  thorny  with  rich,  dark  foliage.  June 
to  August. 

Kumquat.  A  small  species  much  cultivated 
in  China  and  Japan  and  known  there  as  Kin- 
Kan,  which  means  gold  orange.  Kumquat  is 
Chinese  for  the  same  meaning.  The  fruit  is 
about  the  size  of  a  very  large  gooseberry,  but 
decidedly  more  oval  in  form ;  rind  sweet ;  juice 
acid,  very  delicious  and  refreshing.  The  sweet 
rind  and  the  agreeable  acid  pulp  make  a 
piquant  combination  relished  by  most  palates. 
Preserved  in  sugar  by  the  Chinese  and  largely 
used  as  a  sweetmeat.  Tree  of  dwarf  habit  and 
very  desirable  for  pot  and  garden  culture,  be- 
ing both  profitable  and  ornamental.  May  to 
July. 

Mediterranean  Sweet.  Fruit  medium  to 
large ;  pulp  solid  and  few  seeds ;  ripens  late. 
Tree  is  thornless  and  very  productive ;  very 
widely  distributed  and  popular.  February. 

Ruby  Blood.  Fruit  medium,  nearly  round, 
skin  very  smooth  and  thin ;  pulp  rich,  juicy 
and  melting.  When  the  fruit  is  ripe,  it  is 
streaked  and  mottled  throughout  with  blood 
red  so  intensely  that  at  times  it  penetrates 
through  the  skin ;  much  superior  to  the  Mal- 
tese Blood.  Tree  a  strong  vigorous  grower 
and  thornless ;  a  regular  and  heavy  bearer. 
January  to  April. 


Satsuma.  (Unshiu,  Oonshiu).  Introduced 
from  Japan.  Tree  of  dwarfish  habit,  quite 
thornless  and  bears  when  very  young.  The 
first  orange  to  ripen  its  fruit.  yery  hardy, 
which  in  connection  with  its  earliness  makes 
it  an  invaluable  sort.  Skin  thin,  deep  yellow; 
flesh  very  tender,  juicy,  sweet,  delicious,  en- 
tirely seedless.  October  to  December. 

St.  Michael.  Small,  round,  firm,  thin  skin, 
pulp  juicy  and 
very  sweet ;  tree 
dwarfish  habit ;  a 
good  bearer;  very 
desirable  variety. 
February. 

Tangerine.  (Dan- 
cy's. )  Fruit  of 
medium  size,  of 
the  Mandarin 
type.  The  pulp  is 
very  sweet ;  rind 
thin  and  separating 
readily.  March. 

Thomson's  Im- 
proved Navel.  Or- 
iginated by  A.  C. 
Thompson,  of 
Duarte.  Fruit  of 
medium  size,  rind 
very  smooth  and 
thin;  pulp  juicy, 
sweet  and  of  firm 
texture.  Its  earli- 
ness, combined 
with  the  smooth- 
ness and  the  thin- 
skinned  find,  have 
given  this  variety 

n  many  localities  a  precedence  over  the  Wash- 
ngton   Navel.     November  to  January. 


Washington  Navel  Orange. 


Washington  Navel.  Of  all  foreign  varieties 
introduced,  none  have  given  California  the 
prominence  and  prestige  as  a  great  citrus  sec- 
tion that  this  remarkable  variety  has.  It  de- 


24 


CITRUS  FRUITS  IN  CALIFORNIA: 


rives  its  name  from  the  peculiar  umbilical  for- 
mation on  the  summit  or  blossom  end  of  the 
fruit.  In  California  it  has  reached  its  highest 
stage  of  perfection,  and  stands  in  the  lead  of 
all  other  varieties  for  its  large  size,  luscious- 
ness  and  sweetness  of  pulp,  so  that  it  well  de- 
serves the  title  of  "King  of  Oranges."  Tree  is 
a  rapid  grower  and  an  early  and  prolific  crop- 
per. Fruit  juicy,  melting,  seedless.  November 
to  March. 

Valencia  Late.  Fruit  oblong,  large,  re- 
sembles Paper  Rind  St.  Michael  in  color  and 
firmness ;  ripens  very  late,  reaching  the  mar- 
ket when  all  other  varieties  are  gone.  A  valu- 
able variety  and  only  second  to  the  Washing- 
ton Navel  in  the  extent  of  its  dissemination. 
In  localities  not  subject  to  late  frosts  it  should 
be  extensively  planted.  Will  hold  its  fruit  in 
good  condition  as  late  as  September. 

Willow-Leaved  Mandarin.  Tree  a  very  com- 
pact grower,  and  desirable  for  ornament. 
Fruit  medium  size,  flattened,  deep  yellow ; 
skin  thin ;  segments  loosely  adherent ;  flesh 
dark  orange  yellow,  spicy  and  aromatic.  De- 
cember to  February. 

NEW    VARIETIES 

Golden  Nugget  Navel.  Introduced  by  R.  M. 
Teague  of  San  Dimas,  California.  Tree  a  vig- 
orous grower  of  good  habit,  thornless ;  foliage 
dark  green,  abundant  lateral  or  fruiting 
branches,  and  very  symmetrical;  easily  distin- 
guished in  a  grove  of  other  varieties.  The 
tree  presents  a  rather  umbrageous  appearance 
due  to  the  slender  willowy  growth  of  the 
younger  branches.  The  fruit  is  of  a  deep 
golden  color,  very  smooth,  solid  and  thin 
skinned,  the  exterior  being  strongly  suggestive 
of  kid  gloves  to  the  touch  so  smooth  and  even 
is  the  surface;  shape  rather  oblong,  good  size; 
pulp  is  deliciously  sweet,  free  from  rag  and  is 
seedless.  November  to  March. 

Navelencia.  This  new  sort  is  commanding 
some  attention  from  growers.  Said  to  be  a 
cross  between  the  Thomson's  Improved  Navel 


and  the  Valencia  Late,  it  possesse^  all  the 
good  qualities  of  its  parents,  and  ripens  fully 
60  days  later  than  the  Washington  Navel,  thus 
extending  the  season  for  marketing  Navels 
until  the  early  summer  months.  In  character 
of  growth  and  in  the  fine  texture  of  the  fruit 
it  is  said  to  resemble  other  Navels ;  it  is  seed- 
less. Worthy  of  trial.  April  to  June. 


Cluster  of  Washington  Navel  Oranges. 


THE    LEMON:    GROWING,  CURING,    PACKING. 


The  lemon  will  not  stand  as  low  a 
temperature  as  the  orange,  hence  its 
planting  for  commercial  purposes  is 
restricted  to  localities  where  the  tem- 
perature during  the  winter  months 
does  not  go  lower  than  24  degrees 
Fahrenheit  above  zero.  The  tree  is  a 
strong  upright  grower  and  the 
branches  must  be  held  in  check  by 
systematic  annual  pruning,  which 
causes  a  liberal  development  of  late- 
ral branches  and  keeps  the  tree  in  a 
low  symmetrical  form,  thus  facilitat- 
ing the  gathering  of  the  crop.  Fruit 
should  be  picked  as  soon  as  it  has  at- 
tained its  size  and  just  before  turn- 
ing. For  home  use,  each  fruit  should 
be  wrapped  and  placed  in  a  box  in  a 
cool  place.  After  a  few  months  the 
lemon  will  have  become  quite  yellow 
in  color  with  thin  skin  and  will  be 
full  of  juice.  Lemons  allowed  to 


ripen  on  the  tree  are  thick  skinned, 
deficient  in  juice,  develop  extreme  bit- 
terness and  are  in  every  way  inferior. 
For  commercial  purposes  lemons  are 
cured  before  shipping  in  specially 
designed  houses. 

In  localities  where  the  conditions 
are  congenial  for  its  perfect  develop- 
ment, flowers,  immature  and  mature 
fruit  ready  to  pick  will  be  found  on 
the  same  tree.  A  few  trees  are  always 
a  desirable  addition  to  the  wants  of 
every  home,  and  by  taking  precau- 
tion to  plant  in  a  protected  spot,  a 
good  supply  of  fruit  is  always  avail- 
able. The  tree  is  a  very  prolific  bear- 
er. Any  soil  in  which  the  orange 
thrives  is  well  adapted  to  the  lemon. 

The  lemon  requires  more  vigorous 
pruning  than  the  orange  and  in  order 
to  get  the  best  results,  the  tree  should 
be  pruned  from  the  first  year  after 


THEIR  CULTURE  AND   MANAGEMENT 


25 


planting.  The  nature  of  the  tree  is  to 
make  a  strong,  upright  growth  the 
fruit  has  a  tendency  to  grow  on  the 
ends  of  this  growth.  The  checking  of 
this  heavy  growth  by  pruning,  causes 
the  development  of  numerous  lateral 


Cluster  of   Eureka   Lemons. 

fruit  bearing  branches.  The  fruit  is 
set  close  in  and  there  is  no  danger  of 
its  becoming  scarred  and  whipped 
around,  as  it  would  be  on  long,  spind- 
ling branches  extending  out  far  be- 
yond the  confines  of  the  trees. 

To  overcome  this,  all  long  branches 
should  be  cut  back  and  thinned  out, 
leaving  only  such  branches  on  the 
young  trees  as  will  form  a  symmetri- 
cal head.  All  strong,  upright  growth 
that  comes  from  these  branches 
should  also  be  cut  back  so  as  to  cause 
the  tree  to  have  more  of  a  spreading 
nature.  Care  should  also  be  taken  to 
prevent  the  tree  from  becoming  too 
dense;  to  produce  good  fruit  a 
lemon  tree  should  be  open  so  as  to 
admit  plenty  of  sunlight  and  air. 

Systematic  pruning  of  the  lemon 
not  only  brings  the  tree  closer  to  the 
ground,  thus  materially  reducing  the 
cost  of  picking,  but  tends  to  cause  the 
tree  to  be  more  prolific  and  also  pro- 
duce a  better  quality  of  fruit. 


The  preparation  of  the  lemon  for 
market  is  quite  different  from  that  of 
the  orange.  To  secure  best  results  in 
quality  and  keeping  properties  the 
lemon  should  be  carefully  cut  from 
the  tree  as  soon  as  it  is  of  the  proper 
size.  Fruit  left  on  the  tree  to  color 
is  erenerally  deficient  in  juice,  a  very 
poor  keeper  and  often  times  develops 
bitterness. 

In  picking  lemons,  rings  are  used 
by  the  pickers  to  prevent  the  picking 
of  undersized  fruit.  For  winter  pick- 
ing 2  5-16  inch  rings  are  used  and  for 
spring  and  summer  picking  2*^  inch 
rings. 

To  obtain  best  results,  both  as  to 
size  and  keeping  quality,  the  orchard 
should  be  picked  over  every  four  or 
six  weeks.  Right  here  is  where  the 
grower  cannot  be  too  careful,  as  a 
large  part  of  the  success  or  failure  of 
the  lemon  business  is  due  to  the 
methods  of  picking  and  handling  of 
the  fruit.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind 
that  every  little  bruise  or  bump  effects 
the  keeping  quality  of  the  fruit.  When 
lemons  are  to  be  kept  from  three  to 
six  months  before  going  on  to  the 
market,  they  should  be  handled  as 
carefully  as  eggs. 

Properly  cured  lemons  may  be  kept 
for  months  and  they  will  improve  in 
market  qualities,  by  a  thinning  and 
toughening  of  the  skin  and  by  an  in- 
crease of  juice  content. 

The  process  of  curing  lemons  is  a 
very  simple  one,  yet  a  very  particular 
undertaking.  After  experimenting  for 
a  number  of  years  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  state,  the  "open  air"  plan 
has  been  found  to  be  the  best  method 
of  curing  the  fruit.  The  lemon  houses 
are  built  with  only  a  floor  and  a  roof, 
leaving  off  all  sides  for  a  free  circula- 
tion of  air.  The  fruit  is  stacked  in 
blocks,  of  several  hundred  boxes  or 
trays  of  fruit  in  a  block  and  each  block 
is  covered  with  a  canvas  tent  made  for 
the  purpose,  and  so  arranged  that  the 
tent  can  be  raised  or  lowered  to  con- 
trol the  ventilation. 

Great  care  should  be  exercised  in 
this  respect  as  by  improper  ventila- 
tion the  fruit  will  sweat  and  com- 
mence to  decay  from  too  little  air  or 
become  badly  wilted  from  an  over 
supply.  The  desired  condition  to  be 
attained  in  curing  is  to  bring  out  the 
proper  color,  reduce  the  thickness  of 
the  skin  and  increase  the  quantity  of 
juice  and  at  the  same  time  keep  the 


26 


CITRUS  FRUITS   IN  CALIFORNIA: 


fruit  in  as  firm  a  condition  as  possi- 
ble. To  do  this  the  temperature 
and  ventilation  must  be  regulated  so 
as  to  avoid  sweating  too  rapidly  and 
at  the  same  time  not  to  let  in  enough 
hot  air  to  cause  the  fruit  to  shrivel. 

The  methods  of  handling  and  curing 
lemons  have  been  greatly  improved 
during  the  last  few  years.  As  a  result 
of  careful  handling  of  the  fruit  from 
the  tree  to  the  packing-house  the  loss 
by  decay  has  been  reduced  to  a  mini- 
mum. The  use  of  trays  for  curing  in- 
stead of  the  ordinary  field  and  picking 
boxes  also  helps  to  reduce  the  loss  by 
decay,  as  these  trays  are  made  just 
deep  enough  to  hold  one  layer  of 
fruit.  This  not  only  prevents  the 
bruising  of  the  fruit  but  facilitates  the 
sorting  of  it.  These  trays  can  be 
stacked  as  high  as  necessary  in  the 
curing  house  without  crowding  or 
bruising  the  fruit. 

During  the  summer  months  the 
lemons  are  only  kept  in  the  curing 
house  long  enough  to  properly  color 
them  and  then  they  are  taken  out  and 
packed  for  shipment.  From  two  to 
four  weeks  in  the  curing  house  is 
necessary  for  proper  coloring,  depend- 
ing on  the  condition  of  the  fruit  when 
picked.  There  is  very  little  need  for 
sorting  the  fruit  during  this  time,  as 
before  the  fruit  is  placed  on  the  trays 
it  is  passed  through  the  brushes  so  as 
to  remove  any  dirt  or  smut  that  may 
be  on  it.  These  brushes  are  arranged 
in  vats  containing  water  in  which  is  a 
solution  of  one  per  cent  bluestone  to 
destroy  any  fungus  or  spores  of  blue 
mold  that  might  be  present  and  which 
always  causes  heavy  decay  if  allowed 
to  get  established  in  the  curing  rooms. 
After  passing  through  the  brushes  the 
fruit  is  carefully  taken  from  the  water 
and  sorted  as  to  ripeness  and  placed 
in  the  trays,  the  yellow  or  tree  ripe 
fruit  going  into  one  stack,  the  partly 
colored  fruit  into  another  and  the 
grass  green  fruit  into  a  third;  each  lot 
going  to  a  separate  curing  room,  and 
notation  made  as  to  time  of  picking 
and  condition  of  ripeness.  The  yel- 
low or  tree-ripe  fruit  only  stays  in  the 
curing  room  long  enough  to  slightly 
reduce  the  thickness  of  the  skin  which 
also  makes  it  more  pliable  and  less 
liable  to  bruise  in  packing. 

The  partially  colored  or  pale  yellow 
fruit  and  the  grass  green  fruit  is  left 
in  the  curing  rooms  until  it  takes  on 
the  perfect  lemon  yellow,  when  it  is 
also  in  condition  to  pack. 


During  the  winter  and*  spring 
months  when  there  is  usually  a  very 
light  demand  for  lemons  the  fruit  is 
kept  in  the  curing  rooms  much  longer 
and  usually  requires  sorting  several 
times.  If  one  fruit  starts  to  decay  it 
will  affect  all  the  fruit  around  it.  In 
a  short  time  all  the  fruit  in  the  same 
tray  would  decay. 

Lemons  are  graded  as  follows:  Ex- 
tra fancy,  fancy,  extra  choice,  choice 
and  standard. 

Sorting  as  to  Quality. 

After  the  fruit  comes  from  the  cur- 
ing rooms  it  is  again  sorted  as  to 
quality.  The  perfect  appearing  fruit, 
that  is  all  the  fruits  that  are  smooth, 
and  show  no  scars  or  blemishes,  are 
sorted  out  and  packed  as  extra  fancy 
or  fancy.,  as  the  case  may  be.  The 
next  grade  is  almost  perfect,  fairly 
smooth  and  shows  no  bad  scars  or 
blemishes  and  is  packed  as  choice  or 
extra  choice.  All  fruit  showing  up 
perfect  as  to  keeping  qualities  but 
deficient  as  to  appearance,  having  a 
rough  skin  or  badly  scarred  and  off 
color  is  packed  as  standards. 

The  standard  lemon  packs  a:-e  210s, 
240s,  270s,  300s,  360s,  420s,  and  490s. 
In  other  words,  there  are  that  number 
of  lemons  to  the  box  according  to  the 
size.  The  standard  lemon  box  is 
10^x14x27  inches  outside  measure- 
ment, divided  into  two  compartments, 
and  all  lemons,  excepting  the  very 
small  fruits,  are  packed  in  what  is 
called  the  3-2  pack.  Owing  to  the 
shape  of  a  lemon  it  is  impossible  to 
grade  them  by  machinery  so  all  the 
grading  is  done  by  hand.  The  fruit  is 
dumped  into  bins,  each  packer  having 
a  separate  bin  or  section  of  a  bin  to 
work  from  and  selects  the  fruit  to 
size.  That  is,  if  he  is  packing  250s 
he  sorts  out  all  of  this  size  or  suffi- 
cient for  a  box  and  then  starts  on 
another  size,  and  so  on,  a  helper  keep- 
ing the  bins  supplied  with  fruit.  The 
packing  is  usually  done  by  the  box, 
however,  a  good  many  shippers  are 
having  their  packing  done  by  day 
labor,  due  to  the  necessity  of  careful 
handling.  This  is  not  always  possible 
where  each  packer  is  endeavoring  to 
increase  his  or  her  wages  by  trying  to 
pack  a  few  additional  boxes. 

In  all  of  the  operations  from  pick- 
ing the  lemon  to  the  loading  of  the 
packed  boxes  in  the  car,  care  must  be 
used  to  prevent  bruising  the  fruit. 
While  this  rule  applies  to  the  handling 


THEIR  CULTURE  AND*  MANAGEMENT.  •. 


27 


of  all  citrus  fruits  it  will  be  seen  that 
it  is  more  imperative  with  lemons  on 
account  of  the  time  that  intervenes  be- 
tween picking  and  selling  the  fruit. 
After  the  fruit  goes  to  the  consumer  it 
is  not  used  immediately.  Therefore  if 
the  keeping  quality  is  poor  the  con- 
sumer will  look  for  another  brand 
when  buying  again. 

THE    STANDARDS. 

Eureka.  A  California  seedling  and  the  rec- 
ognized commercial  variety  in  this  State.  Tree 
a  vigorous  grower,  practically  thornless  and  a 
prolific  bearer.  Fruit  medium  size,  sweet, 
smooth,  glossy  rind,  an  excellent  keeper, 
abundant  acid  and  very  little  rag.  Its  great 
popularity  in  the  lemon  sections  is  due  to  its 
continuous  blooming  and  setting  of  lemons  all 
the  year,  and  particularly  for  its  heavy  sum- 
mer crop,  when  lemons  are  in  greatest  demand. 
The  most  extensively  planted  lemon  in  South- 
ern California. 


Lisbon.  Imported  from  Portugal.  Med- 
ium size;  sweet  rind  and  very  strong  acid, 
few  seeds,  an  excellent  keeper ;  fruit  very  uni- 
form;  tree  a  strong  grower,  with  compact 
foliage,  a  prolific  bearer;  quite  thorny,  but  the 
thorns  decrease  as  the  tree  grows  older.  Quite 
hardy  and  very  popular  in  the  interior.  Con- 
sidered to  be  the  best  lemon  produced,  but  on 
account  of  its  only  maturing  one  crop  a  year 
(and  that  in  the  fall  and  winter),  it  is  not 
favored  by  many  planters.  We  especially 
recommend  it  for  planting  in  the  interior,  as 
it  produces  a  heavy  fall  crop  of  lemons  that 
size  up  early  enough  to  reach  market  at  a 
time  of  year  when  prices  are  good. 

Villa  Franca.  A  fine  variety  and  desirable 
for  commercial  planting.  Fruit  oblong;  rind 
thin,  without  any  trace  of  bitterness ;  pulp 
acid,  juicy,  nearly  seedless ;  tree  thornless, 
spreading  habit ;  will  stand  a  lower  tempera- 
ture than  any  other  variety.  Considered  by 
some  planters  to  be  preferable  to  either  the 
Eureka  or  Lisbon,  and  is  being  quite  exten- 
sively planted  in  some  sections. 


THE   LIME,   THE   CITRON    AND   THE    POMELO. 


THE  LIME 

Valuable  for  its  citric  acid,  which  is 
extensively  used  in  the  concoction  of 
summer  drinks,  and  especially  palat- 
able as  a  lemonade.  The  juice  is  also 
used  in  medicine  and  in  the  arts.  Its 
export  from  the  West  Indies  consti- 
tutes an  important  article  of  com- 
merce, great  quantities  being  exported 
to  Europe  and  the  United  States. 
Fancy  limes,  and  especially  the  newer 
seedless  sorts,  command  good  prices 
in  the  leading  markets  of  the  Western 
States,  the  average  being  from  $4  to  $6 
per  box.  The  tree  is  more  tender  than 
the  orange,  hence  should  be  planted 
only  in  the  sheltered  foothill  regions 
of  t^e  state.  Commercial  orchards 
should  be  planted  twenty  feet  apart. 
It  likes  a  moist  soil,  and  in  California 
a  lime  grove  should  be  liberally  irri- 
gated. 

THE   STANDARDS. 

Bearss  Seedless.  Fruit  large,  more  than 
twice  the  size  of  the  Mexican  and  seedless,  very 
juicy,  with  pronounced  acidity.  Quite  hardy, 
enormously  productive,  fruits  mature  all  the 
year  around.  Pronounced  by  experts  to  be  one 
of  the  best  in  cultivation. 

Mexican.      Very  largely  grown   in  California 

and  equal  to  the  imported   Mexican.  Is  much 

used   for  hedges,   for   which   purpose  it   is   well 
adapted. 

Tahiti.  A  strong  grower;  fruit  much  larger 
than  the  former,  but  coarse  and  of  inferior 
quality. 


THE   CITRON 

The  tree  is  even  more  tender  than 
the  lemon,  and  should  therefore  be 
planted  where  there  is  very  little  dan- 
ger from  damage  by  frost.  The  fruit 
is  prepared  for  use  by  immersing  in  a 
brine  for  several  months  and  after 
washing  it  is  placed  in  a  hot  syrup,  re- 
maining for  three  weeks.  Later  it  is 
cooked  with  crystalized  sugar  dis- 
solved in  water,  being  cooked  and 
cooled  alternately  until  it  has  taken  in 
sufficient  sugar,  when  it  is  ready  for 
market. 

Citron  of  Commerce.  Fruit  large,  weigh- 
ing from  three  to  five  pounds ;  shaped  like 
a  lemon ;  skin  bright  yellow,  smooth  and  very 
glossy.  The  tree  is  of  a  dwarf  habit,  with 
large,  glossy  leaves  and  very  ornamental. 

THE  POMELO 

Known  as  Grape  Fruit,  because 
much  resembling  in  appearance  a 
bunch  of  grapes;  fruit  borne  in  im- 
mense clusters  from  three  to  fifteen 
fruit  in  a  bunch,  hence  the  name. 
Fruit  much  sought  after  for  its  medici- 
nal qualities,  especially  by  people  suf- 
fering from  dyspepsia  and  other  stom- 
ach troubles.  As  a  healthy  breakfast 
relish  it  excels  every  other  fruit.  As 
its  valuable  properties  are  becoming 
appreciated  the  demand  for  it  is  in- 
creasing. Fruit  round,  somewhat 
larger  than  a  Washington  Navel,  of  a 
pure  lemon  color,  with  white  flesh  of  a 


28 


/,o<; CITRUS  FRUITS   IN  CALIFORNIA: 


delightful  aromatic-acid  flavor.  In  the 
better  varieties  the  pulp  is  almost 
wholly  free  from  seeds  and  "rag.'' 
The  Pomelo  commands  good  prices  in 
the  eastern  markets,  the  supply  at 
present  being  insufficient  to  meet  the 
demand.  Trees  hardy"  as  the  orange 
and  should  be  handled  in  the  same 
manner,  except  that  being  a  more 
thrifty  grower  trees  should  never  be 
set  closer  than  24  feet. 

The  tree  being  a  prolific  bearer,  it 
should  be  well  fed  in  order  to  produce 
large  and  well  flavored  fruit,  other- 
wise the  fruit  will  be  small,  dry, 
woody  and  poorly  flavored.  When  the 
trees  are  heavily  loaded  it  will  be 
found  best  to  thin  out  the  fruit  so  that 
the  remainder  will  properly  develop. 
In  the  case  of  a  full  bearing  Pomelo 
orchard,  it  is  essential  to  irrigate  of- 
tener  than  with  oranges,  and  especial- 
ly when  the  fruit  begins  to  mature. 

Unlike  the  orange  or  lemon,  the 
large  size  Pomelo  is  most  in  demand 
and  there  is  little  sale  for  the  smaller 
fruit.  The  sizes  meeting  with  the 
most  ready  sale  are  48s,  64s  and  80s. 
They  are  packed  in  the  standard 
orange  box  and  in  much  the  same 
manner,  excepting  that  the  grading  for 
size  is  usually  done  by  hand  much  the 
same  as  with  lemons.  Only  the 
larger  markets  demand  straight  cars 
of  Pomelos.  Lots  of  from  25  to  50 
boxes  in  mixed  cars  of  oranges  and 
lemons  realize  the  best  prices. 

THE  STANDARDS 

Marsh's  Seedless.  This  Pomelo  is  deserving 
of  more  attention  than  it  has  been  receiving. 
It  has  so  many  points  in  its  favor  over  other 
varieties  that  it  stands  in  the  same  relation 
to  the  ordinary  Pomelos  that  the  Washington 
Navel  oranges  do  to  the  general  run  of  or- 
anges. Size  medium,  skin  very  smooth, 
glossy  lemon  yellow  color,  pulp  juicy  with 
very  little  rag.  With  the  absence  of  seeds, 
or  nearly  so,  one  of  the  principal  objections 
to  serving  Pomelos  is  removed.  The  fruit 
will  hang  on  the  trees  until  late  in  Septem- 
ber, retaining  all  of  its  juices  and  piquant, 
aromatic  flavor,  without  any  sign  of  deterio- 
ration. This  is  largely  due  to  its  having  no 
seeds  which  would  germinate  if  kept  until 
late  in  the  season.  Of  all  the  citrus  family, 
no  tree  is  so  showy  as  the  Pomelo,  with  its 
immense  clusters  of  yellow  globes  set  off  with 
a  background  of  deep  dark  green  foliage. 
Can  be  eaten  out  of  the  hand  with  relish 
wtihout  the  addition  of  sugar  late  in  the 
season. 

Triumph.  Medium  size ;  peel  smooth,  clear, 
thin  and  fine  grained ;  less  "rag"  than  in  most 
Pomelos  and  fewer  seeds ;  very  heavy,  juicy 
and  well  flavored.  No  bitter  in  the  juice, 
flesh  nor  membrane  surrounding  the  cells  and 
dividing  the  segments,  and  very  little  in  the 
white  inner  lining  of  the  peel.  Tree  bears 
young;  one  of  the  best  of  the  imported  varie- 
ties. 


Marsh    Seedless   Pomelo. 


337237 


CO 

o> 


7f7 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


